Thanks for all the kind words. The tires were only at 10-15psi, believe it or not. I thought the steering was a bit heavy from startup.

I went ahead and took the front wheels off and taped the spacers as close to center as possible and reinstalled the wheels. Big difference in vibrations. They're down to a minimum, although they're still there.

Took her down to the station to get air in the tires after that. They have the compressor on a timer. I had to ask them to turn it on 3 times to get all 4 tires up to spec. They're a bit overinflated now, so the ride home was a little squirrely. But the vibrations were almost gone. I'm going to let out some air and get an alignment this weekend and we'll see how things are. Even as is, I'm very impressed at the precise control I have. She moves to exactly where I point her. Not used to that at all.

fm

 

So, I was all so proud of myself for making the ground direct to the contact point, I wasn't realizing that grounding to the wheel well was not adequate. The electrician set the ground to the Alternator mount to give it ground to the block. He also set up ground for other things (didn't talk with him... just picked her up from Tranny guy's shop) where I sanded the body contact. He reportedly said 45% of my problems with the wiring in the cluster (*#A# behind the fuse box. I'm pretty sure I need a new fusable link ultimately.

I'm just glad someone with a skill base way over my own (and OBVIOUSLY over the PO) went through it thoroughly. Not a hint of a problem since.

Now I'm challenging my vacuum sensibilities (and diagrams) to get carb & timing adjustments in order. I have more power in the top end than low, right now... but I am smoke free!

What a ghetto way to low ride!

 

LOL...actually, I'm pretty sure it's because these wheels sat for a couple of years unused. I don't think anyone that dropped $$ on Volks would skimp on a proper suspension.

fm

 

You'd be surprised. Go look in the FC section, and you'll see plenty of folks with uselessly low suspension sperging out over whether your wheels are genuine/JDM or "reps" (replicas/knockoffs.) The FC section is slowly becoming nothing but rice and drift crap.

edit: and don't get me started on the whole "stretching" tire thing.

 

Fuel pump took a poop. So now I get to re-replace the replacement aftermarket pump suppose to be a Holley..... but I am doubting that. Also am waiting on 20mm freeze plugs and my new intake gasket to finally fix that headache.

 

and some quicksteel for the ACV port, I'm sure.

The red car now runs and drives nicely with the Nikki on a 6 port 13B. Very upgradeable. List includes MegaSquirt or stock S4 ECU. Walbro or MSD fuel pump. DLIDFIS or stock S4 ignition. Long primary exhaust. New tires soon (lol). It really needs tires.

It currently has an 8 pound GReddy flywheel with a stock disc and centerforce pressure plate. Feels decent in this chassis. I'm kinda considering my options for the clutch setup on mine now. My current setup shudders but it shouldn't. Hmm...

Going to change the disc. With everything out, should I stick with light steel or try the RB aluminum? Short term plans are to try out a Camden 5" but will go turbo when I outgrow the SC, so the clutch package has to work with both. The Camden has extra rotating mass so I could technically go with aluminum right now, but I do enjoy a nice light steel for driveability. But then the red one drives fine with the GReddy 8 pound flywheel (actually it has R5/GSL-SE rotors and a power steering pump adding mass to the assembly).

 

horrah updates! i got me an engine!!! and some wheels!

 

That's a familar site. Looks like a 6 port. What are your plans?

 

pretty much get her driving as a daily.

 

I see a variable resistor and the "boost" sensor. Looks like you're going with the S4 ECU?

 

yea for now. Since i have everything including the harness. I might go with either a IDA or some kind of efi ITB arrangement down the road.

 

I have everything including the harness too. But I also have a MegaSquirt. I also have a weber DCOE and the RB upper manifold if I wanted to go carbed. Three options. Decisions decisions.

 

my rally car is megasquirted. I like it for my purposes.

and i still have a carter pump or two laying around for carb use. I just have no knowledge of how to tune carbs.

 

Took her for an otherwise enjoyable ride but unfortunately discovered my AC has lost its charge :-( Will need to recharge this weekend. Sent query to Racing Beat because I need to stop fooling around and swap out the entire exhaust from block to muffler tips. I guess I will go with them but I do have some concern about finding the short pipe they don't carry. Spoke with the local auto parts store about new rear shocks since racing beat can't get Tokico's in. Decided to order the door panel seals I found online as mine are dry and cracked. I don't think I will put it on the driver side door until I figure out what I am going to do to correct the alignment problem - last owner must have had a small accident as the post mount moved 1/4 inch and the door won't close tight.

 

Excerpt from my build thread update:

New driveshaft versus the old FB 12a shaft directly underneath it, and the FC 13bt shaft below that. Shaft has greasable and rebuldable u-joints with a 1 year warranty.


Slip yoke side of the new driveshaft


Rear flange side of the new driveshaft with new Grade 10 nuts, bolts and lock washers for the whole rear end.


Got home and verified that I could drive the car without forgetting anything that would drag on the ground or be a safety concern. Got the IMSA spoiler installed temporarily as well as you can see later.

After installing the shaft and cleaning out the entire car of all tools and hardware I decided to see if she'd go under her own power. I was ecstatic about the car being able to move itself I couldn't stand it!

Then I figured out that the shaft on the clutch slave cylinder of the new FB was too long and pushing the clutch in constantly. My heart dropped in hearing and feeling that I couldn't drive the car the way it was.

Until a thought crossed my mind...

FB slave cylinder push rods side by side


Shaved off shaft that I'm using on the left in the car now. Has been shaved down even further by about 1/8" from this picture just with the feel in the car


So I put this in the car and wouldn't ya know it, she worked!!

Re-bled the clutch system with some help from my dad and took him for a ride he won't soon forget

I drove the car for a total of about 8 miles in 2 mile stints up and down a road that isn't patrolled 364 days in a year. Only boosted it twice and man does it RIP now! Couldn't be happier with its performance and I can't wait to see how it progresses from this point.

Driver's side view of the car after the night's activities


Passenger side shot




There's an end in site where I can reliably drive the car whenever I want.

 

I decided to do a quickie clutch swap in the brown one today. The old setup had three things wrong with it: too stiff, too grabby, some shudder. Actually due to the shudder and the grabbiness, sometimes it would grab hard while other times it would grab normally. Basically it was unpredictable whether it would grab nice or anoyingly too quick. It had to come out. Ever had a clutch setup like that?

The parts I swapped in consist of the light steel flywheel and disc from the blue car (already broken in together and never shuddered), and threw in a centerforce pressure plate (freshly scuffed). Got it back in and adjusted the pedal rod. Now it feels like a real clutch is in there. I bet the friction point will be more useable. It should drive a lot better now. I'll find out after the starter etc are back in.

 

Finished taking apart the keg. Now time to take a bunch of pictures and add to the build thread with lots of questions on what to replace and what to repair.

 

header and LIM is good to go on the FB/C! started connecting some simple things. Need to get my oil cooler cleaned out then pop in a radiator.

I am going to need a slightly longer driveshaft though... Wonder if the automatics are any longer than the manuals...

 

Tonight I shall driver her, and may take a crack at slightly adjusting the toe if I can convince myself that I know which side is not quite right.

 

lindahlish,
Congrats on getting her moving under her own power! I wish a turbo swap was in my future, but I'll have to settle for an NA 13b. Unless I decide to just go turbo with the SE block anyway. We'll see. I have lots of options and plenty of time.

fm

 

Fungus you can get PLENTY of power out of NA. Don't worry man you'll have lots of room to grow.

 

it takes a little thinking, i find this hurts, but go in flats, or 1/8ths of a turn and once you get the hang of it, its actually pretty easy

 

Since work officially runs my life (im sure none here can relate..), I haven't been too active on here lately.

So for my mini update, I got my car down off of jackstands after nearly a month of flying.

The new clutch is great, and ive put 300 miles on the car in the last 3 days.. the most she's been driven in more than 6 months... but gotta break in that clutch!

Ive also been enjoying the gslse suspension swap, coilovers, camber plates, and new wheels and tires that are FINALLY out of my living room, and onto my car.





Gonna bring the back down a smidge, but honestly liking the forward rake more than I had thought I would.

and of course, if its not one thing, its another. Believe I hear the start of an input shaft bearing going out on my tranny, so looks like that will be coming right back out.

September 28 keeps getting closer, and my wish list of things to accomplish keeps growing.

Rxtex

 

RxTex, that's a beauty. I'd leave the rear. Looks like what it is, a badass 80's car.

 

Tried out a little less expensive LED brake lamp. Photos are in my LED thread over in technical. The good news is that for $5 less money per bulb it is brighter than the $25 bulb I am using in the GSL-EV. The bad news is that it is still $20 each and now I need to buy three more for the GSL-SE. And yes, it is quite a lot brighter than the stock 1157 filament bulb. Ain't technology grand!